D. A. Steele, 91, a life-long resident and business owner of Greenville passed away August 13, 2011 at Legend Health Care. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday at Central Christian Church with Dr. John T. Tate officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Coker-Mathews Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Central Christian Church.
Born October 20, 1919 in Greenville, David was the son of D. A. and Hattie Bell Horne Steele Sr.
D. A. was a 1938 graduate of Greenville High School and attended East Texas State Teachers College.
He was appointed an aviation cadet in the U. S. Army Air Corps on November 2, 1941. He completed primary and basic training at Cal-Aero Academy Ontario California and advanced training at Victorville Air Force Base in California, where he was commissioned A-rated pilot and 2nd Lieutentant. He trained at several Air Force bases as a B-17 pilot and was assigned to the 8th AF in England where he completed 25 combat missions in 1942 over Germany and enemy occupied France for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and the 3 Oak Leaf Clusters. He returned to the U. S. in late 1942. He retired as a Lt. Col. with the U. S. Air Force Reserve.
On August 17, 1943, he married Beatrice (Bea) Groover in Frostproof, Florida. They have one son, Robert H. Steele and his wife Sharon.
He was a member of the Central Christian Church since 1929, where he has served has a deacon and trustee emeritus. From 1946 – 1950 he was a free lance sign painter, from 1950 – 1953 he was an inspector for Temco, then in 1954 he opened D. A. Steele Cabinet Works – furniture restoration, where he worked until 2011.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Hilton Iley Steele and sister, Sarah Steele–Jessee.
